The relative effects on local blood flow of hot packs, mild rhythmical exercise, and a combination of hot packs and exercise were measured by acute venous occlusion plethysmography on ten healthy human subjects. Skin temperature was measured during application of heat. Exercise produced a large, brief increase in blood flow while heat caused a smaller, more prolonged increase resulting in a greater total excess blood flow. Differences in blood flow response appeared to be related to intensity and duration of procedure. The combined effect on blood flow of heat and exercise was additive.
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Ronald S. Greenberg (1972) studied this question.